Removable threading guide



July 16, 1968 D. M. STANDEFER 3,392,894

REMOVABLE THREADING GUIDE Filed Nov. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 16,1968 D. M. STANDEFER 3,392,894

REMOVABLE THREAD ING GUI DE F'iled Nov. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent 3,392,894 REMOVABLE THREADING GUIDE Derrell MadisonStandefer, Hixson, Tenn., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours andCompany, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 14,1966, Ser. No. 593,820 3 Claims. (Cl. 226-89) This invention relatesgenerally to the winding of yarn from a continuous source of supply and,more particularly, to an auxiliary device for handling the yarn when aproduction unit is started.

The production of yarn composed of synthetic filaments from moltenpolymers such as polyamides, polyesters and the like usually involvesextrusion of the filaments from a spinneret vertically downward to awindup. The filaments may be stretched to orient them and/or advancedthrough other processing steps prior to winding. To facilitatemaintenance of optimum conditions, both in the extrusion assembly and atthe winding position, the two are usually spaced a considerable distanceapart. In actual practice, the extrusion assemblies are often located onone floor of the building in which the process is carried out and thewinding positions are located on the floor next below, each more or lessdirectly underneath an extrusion assembly.

When an extrusion assembly is started initially or is reactivated afterstoppage for replacement of the spinneret or for other reasons, theefforts of two operators are required to start the extrusion and windingprocess. To accomplish the startup of the unit, one operator catches thefreshly extruded filaments below the spinneret and throws them downthrough the quenching chimney and through an interfloor tube to thelower level. With a yarn-catching device of the type disclosed by Barneset al. in U.S.P. 3,051,364, the yarn is diverted to a vacuum line whichroutes it to a waste container until the lower floor operator is readyto start the winding operation. This eliminates the need for bothoperators to be in attendance at the same time.

Although the apparatus of Barnes et al. is both operable and reliablewith textile yarns, it has been found unsatisfactory for high denierindustrial yarns which stick together in a hard mass when theincompletely hardened filaments are grasped by the operator and throwndown. This relatively large rod-like mass of material is not drawn intothe vacuum line readily and tends to clog its entrance. While the vacuumline entrance might be enlarged to accommodate the larger mass ofmaterial, this would be expensive from the standpoint of maintainingadequate air flow for satisfactory operability.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatusfor the temporary disposal of yarn advancing away from a continuoussource. Another object is to provide an apparatus which is particularlyadapted for the temporary disposal of high denier yarn.

The above objects have been achieved with a portable conduit which isadapted for attachment at the lower end of a tube through which yarnnormally advances from an upper extrusion zone to a lower winding zone.The conduit has open upper and lower ends, the upper end being shaped toconform generally to the lower end of the interfloor tube and the lowerend being adjacent the opening to a vacuum line. When in positionbeneath the tube, an angularly disposed inner surface of the conduitdeflects a starting end of yarn and causes it to pass directly in frontof the vacuum line. In addition, the conduit is provided with alongitudinal slot which facilitates its removal without disturbing theadvance of yarn picked up by the vacuum line.

Other objectives and advantages will be apparent from "ice the followingspecification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings inwhich FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of a yarn-handlinginstallation which has been adapted to receive the portableyarn-deflecting device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the installation shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of theyarn-deflecting device; and

FIGS. 4, 5 are fragmentary elevational views of the device shownperspectively in FIG. 3.

The process installation shown in FIG. 1 includes a spinneret from whichsynthetic filaments 12 are extruded into a quenching chimney 14. Afterconvergence, the filament bundle enters an interfloor tube 16 andnormally advances over feed roll 18, draw pin 20 and draw roll 22,through a fixed guide 24 and a traversing guide 26 to a rotatably drivenpackage 28. This installation also'includes a plate 30 having a circularflange 32 surrounding the open end or mouth of a vacuum line 34 whichleads to a waste container 36. As shown in FIG. 2, the mouth of vacuumline 34 is normally closed by a cap 38.

Before startup, cap 38 is removed and replaced by a yarn-deflectingdevice or conduit of the type shown at 4-0 in FIGS. 35. As illustrated,conduit 40 has a pair of flange members 41, 42. The latter are adaptedfor a relatively tight fit on flange 32 and thereby to support conduit40 beneath tube 16. The upper end of conduit 40 is adapted to fitagainst and partially around the lower end of interfioor tube 16.

Referring to FIG. 3, conduit 40 has opposed pairs of side walls 44, 46and 48, 50. At its upper end, conduit 40 is substantially rectangular incross section and walls 44, 46 are cut away at 45, 47 to facilitatetheir location with respect to tube 16. In wall 44, there is a slot 52between upper edge and an opening 54 in an extension 56. Mountingflanges 41, 42 project from the reverse face of extension 56.

Through a substantial portion of their lengths, walls 44, 46, 48converge toward the lower end of conduit 40 and give it a generallyspoutlike configuration. Since wall 50 is neither convergent nortapered, conduit 40 is relatively narrow adjacent the lower end of wall48. In addition, wall 48 is more sharply convergent than walls 44, 46.As a consequence, wall 48 presents an angularly disposed inner surfacefor deflecting yarn thrown down through tube 16 toward the vacuum line34.

To start a spinning unit, the spoutlike conduit is put in position belowthe interfloor tube by the lower floor operator who then proceeds withhis other duties. When the upper floor operator starts the extrusionprocess, he grasps the freshly extruded filament bundle in his glovedhand and throws the resulting hard, rod-like mass of polymer downthrough the chimney and interfloor tube to conduit 40 which routes theyarn through a path of advance directly in front of opening 54 andvacuum line 34. The yarn usually drops a distance of twelve inches ormore below the vacuum opening before being picked up and drawn in by theair stream passing across the yarn at the vacuum line entrance. When thelower floor operator is ready to start the winding operation, he removesconduit 40 and then cuts and transfers the yarn to a portable sucker gunwhich he uses to thread the yarn around the guides, rollers, etc.,employed in the winding process.

The location of mounting flanges 41, 42 on extension 56 is advantageousinsofar as it insures alignment of slot 52 with yarn advancing to vacuumline 34, i.e., facilitates removal of conduit 40 without disturbing thecontinuous advance of yarn to the vacuum line. In situations where spacelimitations in an existing installation preclude provision of anextension on wall 44, the mounting flanges or other fasteners cooperablewith fixed parts of the installation can be aflixed to any one of walls44, 46, 48, 50. The only requirement in this respect is that thefasteners be so located that the upper end of conduit 40 can be fittedagainst and around the outlet end of tube 16 before the fasteners areengaged. When extension 56 is omitted, slot 52 extends through theentire length of wall 44. Other variations and modifications of asimilar nature will occur to those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of this invention which accordingly is intended to belimited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a yarn-handling installation including a tube through which yarnnormally advances downwardly to a process point and a vacuum lineoriginating adjacent the tube outlet,

a portable conduit adapted to be positioned beneath said tube andprovided with means for holding it in place when so positioned, saidconduit being open at its upper and lower ends torthe passage of yarntherethrough,

having an angularly disposed surface for deflecting said yarn toward thevacuum line and being provided with a longitudinal slot to facilitateits removal without disturbing the advance of yarn picked up by andadvancing to the vacuum line.

2. The installation of claim 1 wherein said conduit is comprised ofopposed pairs of walls and one of said walls includes said angularlydisposed surface.

3. The installation of claim 2 wherein an adjoining second wall has anextension beneath said lower end of the conduit member, said extensionhas an Opening in registry with the vacuum line when the conduit memberis positioned beneath the tube and said slot extends from the upper endof said second wall to said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,681,729 6/1954 Griset 226-97 X2,812,850 11/1957 Pape 226-97 2,860,373 11/1958 Schmidt 226-97 X2,880,457 4/1959 Schuller 226-97 X 3,294,305 12/1966 Schimpf 226-973,333,407 8/1967 Bruin et al. 226-97 X ALLEN N. KNOWLES, PrimaryExaminer.

1. IN A YARN-HANDLING INSTALLATION INCLUDING A TUBE THROUGH WHICH YARNNORMALLY ADVANCES DOWNWARDLY TO A PROCESS POINT AND A VACUUM LINEORIGINATING ADJACENT THE TUBE OUTLET, A PORTABLE CONDUIT ADAPTED TO BEPOSITIONED BENEATH SAID TUBE AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR HOLDING IT INPLACE WHEN WO POSITIONED, SAID CONDUIT BEING OPEN AT ITS UPPER AND LOWERENDS FOR THE PASSAGE OF YARN THERETHROUGH, HAVING AN ANGULARLY DISPOSEDSURFACE FOR DEFLECTING SAID YARN TOWARD THE VACUUM LINE AND BEINGPROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINAL SLOT TO FACILITATE ITS REMOVAL WITHOUTDISTURBING THE ADVANCE OF YARN PICKED UP BY AND ADVANCING TO THE VACUUMLINE.